Sitka
Sitka - Strawberry Cough - Special Press Hash - 1g
Strawberry Cough supposedly earned its name from the cough that follows a big pull. This 1g piece is that strain as pressed hash from Sitka Hash House, founded in Seattle in 2012 and selling in California since 2021. By Sitka's account its hash is dry sifted resin pressed by hand with no solvents, and single-strain runs like this one carry its Special Press label.
Quick Specs
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Listed as sativa; some strain guides say sativa-dominant hybrid |
| Format | 1g pressed dry sift hash, solventless |
| Onset | Within minutes when smoked |
| Duration | Two to six hours, depending on amount |
| Best Time | Daytime, with room to pace yourself |
Genetics & Lineage
Most strain guides list Strawberry Cough as Haze crossed with Strawberry Fields, but records from the early days are thin. Leafly hedges on that cross, and Weedmaps notes that both the breeder and the parentage are contested.
The name tied to the strain is Kyle Kushman, the former High Times cultivation writer. Weedmaps traces his plant to a Connecticut basement grow run by a newcomer. A 2025 podcast episode puts the find in a New York grow in the early 2000s, with Kushman describing his role as sharing the strain, not breeding it. Other accounts, flagged as rumor or debate, tie the strawberry side to Swiss Erdbeer genetics.
Sitka hasn't published which cut or farm went into this press.
Flavor & Aroma
As flower, Strawberry Cough is known for its strawberry nose. Weedmaps puts floral, herbal, earthy and piney notes under the fruit, with a spicy edge it likens to Haze, and AllBud picks up pepper on the exhale. Leafly ranks myrcene, pinene and caryophyllene as its leading terpenes; a Beard Bros spotlight leads with terpinolene instead.
Hash isn't flower, though. High Times notes that hash tends to smell earthier, spicier and more aged, and Sitka hasn't posted tasting notes for this run, so treat the strain profile as a guide. Sitka's product pages do describe its hash as pliable rather than crumbly.
Effects
Strawberry Cough has a reputation as a bright, talkative daytime sativa. Leafly reviewers tag it uplifted, energetic and happy most often, and Weedmaps' write-up stresses creativity and sociability. People reach for it for projects and conversation more than the couch.
Hash is concentrated resin, so a small piece is plenty to start. The complaints Leafly users report most are dry mouth, dry eyes and anxiousness. If racy sativas make you overthink, go slow and keep water nearby.
Best For
- Strawberry Cough fans new to hash: A familiar strain is an easy way into traditional pressed hash.
- Topping a daytime bowl: A thin strand over flower adds strength and resin flavor, no dab rig needed.
- Solventless purists: Dry sift, pressed by hand, nothing added.
- Creative afternoons: Writing, sketching, practicing an instrument.
Not for: First-time cannabis users, anyone prone to anxious highs, or a heavy nightcap. Sitka's Lebanese Red fits that better.
Pairings
- Food: Focaccia from Liguria Bakery on Stockton Street, which can sell out early. Plain or rosemary keeps the strawberry in front.
- Music: Bossa nova, Khruangbin or mellow jazz piano, nothing that crowds the conversation.
- Activity: Smoke at home, since California bars cannabis use in public places, then walk to City Lights Booksellers on Columbus, the shop Lawrence Ferlinghetti co-founded in 1953 and the press behind Ginsberg's Howl. Or climb the Filbert Steps up Telegraph Hill toward Coit Tower.
Extraction & Pressing
Special Press is dry sift, not ice water hash. In a May 2026 post on Sitka's site, co-founder Nick Saad lays out the house method: resin sifted from cured flower through fine screens, pressed by hand, sometimes aged or cured. An earlier Sitka post says the kief is bought from farms or tumbled from flower in-house, then kneaded by hand into a firm, fudge-like putty. Saad sums it up: "No solvents. No additives. Just the plant, refined."
Sitka's site calls its hash Classic Hashish, and a 2021 company release listed the Classic Line apart from its bubble hash. Lebanese Gold and Red are hashmaster blends of several sativas or indicas; Special Press is the strain-specific side. Sitka calls the line full spectrum and cites a patent-pending terpene preservation process.
Not published for this run: the farm, the cut, whether the press used heat, and the cure time. High Times' September 2026 California hash report pegs Sitka as a dry sift brand for purists.
Dosing
New to hash: Break off a rice-grain piece, flatten it or roll it thin, and lay it over a bowl of flower or inside a joint. Take two or three pulls, then wait 10 to 15 minutes.
Comfortable with flower: Roll a match-head piece into a thin snake and lay it down the middle of a joint, the old snake in the grass trick.
Hash regulars: Smoke it alone in a small screened pipe, lighting it gently rather than torching it. Sitka also suggests a glass dome or hot knives, which call for a steady setup.
Storage
Sitka recommends cool, dark and airtight storage, and says well-kept hash can last a long time and sometimes improves with age; High Times says years. Keep it sealed, away from heat and sun, and out of reach of kids and pets.
Similar Products
- Sitka - Lebanese Gold Hash - 1g: Same maker and method, but a blend of sativas that Sitka says leans citrus.
- Sitka - Lebanese Red Hash - 1g: The evening pick, an indica blend with a heavier body effect and a nose Sitka likens to rose, spice and lavender.
- Sluggers - Euphoria - Cold Cure Rosin - 1g: Another solventless sativa, made with only heat and pressure and cold cured, for people who dab.
- Jetty - Papaya Bomb - Live Rosin - 1g: Solventless the modern way: fresh frozen flower washed into ice water hash, then pressed.
FAQ
Is Sitka's Strawberry Cough hash a sativa or an indica? It is listed as a sativa, and Leafly agrees. Weedmaps and AllBud call Strawberry Cough a sativa-dominant hybrid.
What does Special Press mean? It's Sitka's strain-specific hash. Lebanese Gold and Red are blends; Special Press runs carry one named strain.
How do I smoke pressed hash? Crumble or roll a small piece over flower in a bowl or joint. Regulars also use a small pipe, a glass dome or hot knives.
Is it solventless? Yes. Sitka makes it from dry sifted resin pressed by hand, with no solvents or additives.
Who bred Strawberry Cough? Nobody knows for sure. Kyle Kushman spread it widely but has said he never claimed to breed it, and the Haze and Strawberry Fields cross is still disputed.
How strong is it? Potency is printed on the label. Hash is concentrated resin, so start with a rice-grain piece and build slowly.
How long does it last? Smoked cannabis usually comes on within minutes, and effects run two to six hours depending on how much you smoke.
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